The Enchanting Beauty And The Beast Hits Baltimore

In the musical, Hillary Maiberger plays Belle and Darick Peade plays the Beast. (Photo taken by WBAL's John Patti)

WBAL's John Patti got an exclusive interview with the actors who play Belle and the Beast. They talked about their characters and the musical's amazing special effects. Download This File

(AP Photo)

If you are in the mood for an award-winning, worldwide musical, then youÆll be glad to know that Baltimore is hosting one.

The childhood innocence of love and magic of DisneyÆs Beauty and the Beast is now showcasing at BaltimoreÆs Hippodrome Theatre.

Audiences will become inspired by the special effects and mesmerized by the famous music of one of the most renowned musicals of all time.

The smash hit is a part of the Hippodrome Broadway Series, and is being produced by NETwork Presentations.

Directed by Rob Ruth and choreographed by Matt West, the classic, immortal musical centers on a young woman named, Belle and a beast, who was once a young prince. An enchantress transformed the prince into a beast after he did not show her kindness. To break the spell, the Beast must learn how to love and to be loved. Belle plays a major role in changing the Beast's heart.

Playing Belle in the Hippodrome performance is Hillary Maiberger. Originally from California, Maiberger told WBALÆs John Patti that it has been her dream to play the role.

"She's very sweet, but she's got a strong head on her," she said. "She's an amazing character. I love playing someone so strong and so smart."

Darick Pead is playing the role of the Beast. He expressed that he was very humbled to have the opportunity to depict the character to audiences.

"It is a love story, but it is a story that allows you to be swept away by the story and the special effects," Pead told Patti. "I love the aspects of being transformed into a Beast and also being transformed into a prince, and the journey that it takes along the way."

The musical will feature six Academy-Award winning songs, like ôBe Our Guestö from the original Disney movie, and it will also feature six original songs that were written specifically for the musical.

Maliberger said even with the new songs, the musical stays very true to the film: "We didn't really want to mess with changing it too much, because it's such an iconic movie. They added a few musical numbers for me and Darick...but it stays very true to the story and we stay very true to the characters."

Maliberger and Pead also mentioned how the special effects of the tall, rotating platforms of the musical even surprised them.

To them, the effects not only allow audiences to be a part of the performance, but the special effects also helped them personally to embrace the transformation of their characters throughout the show.

"WhatÆs so great about having that transformation throughout the whole show is that he [the beast] goes from being this introspective person to a very loving and giving person."

If you are interested in seing the musical, there will be performances at the Hippodrome Theatre until February 3rd.